Improved fountain-pen



N. A. PRINCE.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

PATENTBD JAN. 2s, 1855.

. turned toward the eye.

part of the pen turned toward the eye. represent-s a View of the samewith the under UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.-

N EWELL A. vPRINCE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

i |MPRovn FOUNTAIN-PEN' To all whom zit 11i/(Ly concern:

Be, it known that- I, NEwELL-A. PRINCE, ofthecityofrooklyn,inthecountyofKings,aud

of the State ot' New York, have invented new' and luseful ImprovementsinFountain-Pens; and I do' hereby declare. that the following is a fulland exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying|drawings, which form a part of this specification, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, in

y which drawings- Figure 1 represents an external viewof my improvedfountainpen as it appears with thel cap on, when it is not charged andnot in use'.

Fig. 2 represents a groundview or side eleration of the same with thepen placed over the feeding-tube. Fig. 3 represents a View of the' samewith thej upper part of the pen Fig. 4 represents a view of the samewith the under part of the pen turned toward the eye. Fig-..5 representsa vertical longitudinal section of my i mproved fountain-pen. ,Fig 9represents a cross-section of the main reservoir-tube. Fig. 6 representsa section al View of the same,Wit-h the piston-rod drawn hack. Fig. 7represents a sectional view of the feeding-tube with an elastic springinxed therein. sents a cross-section of -the feeding-tube and thespring. Fig. l0 represents a groundv view of my improvedfountain-pen,with the/fpen placed under the feeding-tube. Fig. 11lrepresents aviewof the Same with the upper Fig.12

part of the pen turned toward' the eye. VFig'. 13 represents a verticallongitudinal section of the same.v Fig. 1.4.' represents` acrolssseetion of the main reservoir-tube. Fig. 15 represents my improvedfountainpen as ready for'use.

The main reservoirtube,-as represented by c v in Fig. 5; is made of anyconvenient length, from four to five inches, or more, with a. diameterof 'about a quarter ot' 'lan inch. The inside surface is niade as smoothas possible.

The pisto'n-rod', as represented in Fig. 5 by (l (1 which is usedincharging the main res-- ervir-tnbe with ink, is made about the samelength as the main reservoiitube, the greater part of it being somewhatless than an eighth of an inch in diameter.` The lower end of Fig. 8repre-` the piston-rod. is made with a head, as seen-,in

Fig. 5 `at letters d x, which head forthe most part is of the 'sainediameter as the bore of the main reservoir-tube, or as nearly so aspossible, regard being had toA an easy movement of the same in the mainreservoir-tube. The said head issmoothd and palish'ed. A part of thishead is' madeof a conical shape, as seen at in Fig. 5, so as to tittightly or ink'and air tight when drawn back into the hole in thescrew-cap, which is represented by a, vas seen in Fig. 6 at The saidscrewcap is made about three-quarters of an inch long, '.(it can be aninch or more, if necessary) andis attached closely-that is, ink and airtightto the .upper end ofthe main reservoir- -tube, as represented by ainy Figs. 5 and 6. .A

hole -is made longitudinally i'n the said screwcapso large that thepiston-rod may be easily moved up and, down therein; but the lower partof this hole -is made of a conical shape, as represented in Fig. 5, atlor near v and a, so thaithe conicall-y-shaped part of the pis- Aton-rodbefore described may t closelyinto litwhen drawnuback, as seen in Fig.-6, .thus 'preventing the ink from' escaping from or through the hole.inthe said screw-cap and the air from entering by the' same afterlthemain reservoir-tube has been charged. The said screw cap,y after thepiston-rod is passed through the hole therein and the head of thepiston-rod inserted in'the main reservoir-tube, must be screwedon theupper end'otvthe main reservoir-tube so closely that no ink'canpassfoutnor air pass in over the threadv of the 'screw of the said screw-cap.The upper ,end

of the piston-rod yis furnished with4 av small screw-knob, (representedby a in Fig. 5,) which isl screwed o'nto it after it yis' passed throughthe hole-.in the'screwcap.

l, In the lower end of the main reservoirtubeI insert asmallfeeding-tube, (represented by b in the sectional drawing, Fig. 5.) lThistube b I make about an inch long, (it'canlbe made en inch, and aqnarterlongif desired,) with the bore thereof nearly an eighth ofan inchyin diameter, passing quite through it, they said bore being larger atthe upperiend of the tube than below, as seen at or near c in Fig. 5.

Near the lower end of the feeding-tube b, Fig. 5, I make an orificeperpendicularto the bore of the said tube, as seen in the sectionaldrawings, Fig. 7, at the point m, ltromwhich oritieej? the ink issues tofeed the pen. The said orifice shoultfbe sufficiently large to'give a.free supply of ink. In thefeeding-tube b, Fig. 5 I infix a small thin,dat, and elasticf'spring. (Represented by c.) The upper parofthissprin'gis made so wide for about a quarter of an inchin length that it mayimpingebn; the sides 0f thetube, so that by pressing,` it in it is' madefast in its position, as seeif Fig'. 7 at c.' There is suicient spaceleft for the ink to pass down the feeding-tube'above and below thespi-ing, as seen in the tube b in Fig. 5. The -rest part of the` springi'snmde narrower than the bore of the feeding-tube, as seen in Fig. 7,so that` vitcan be made to vibrate readily in the feed,

ing-tube by the action of the pen, as I shall hereinaftershow.'lhe'loworcndof-the spring' is slightly curved or bent at nearly wright',angle, so that the' end of it projects through the'oriti'ce 'na-asVseen in Fig.l 7 andcomes'in contact with the. under part of the pen, as

seen inthe tube b in Fig. 45, the blueline marked c representing thespring.

When the p'en is not in use, the spring is kept pressed down somewhatbythe pen; but 'as soon as the pointof the pen is raised upward bywriting the end` of the'. spring fol- -lows it, so that the constantmotion of the" pen in writing aids in supplyin'g'it with ink, the ink.being-drawnhp vor attracted bythe spring, andl kept thus in contact withth'e pen.

The vibration of, the spring in the feedingtube' is .of much importancein aiding' the iiowa-ge of the ink1 The end of the springl should'always be inl bog'taet with 'the pen .when the pen is p aced above thefeedingtube.l 'After the spring isinixed in the feed- A. J.ing-tube inthe nianner described, the feedingt'l'lbe, containing thespring, itsinserted intol the lower end of the'main reservoir-tube.

' 'j" 1`he feeding-tube (see'li' in Figs? and is iliade at theyupper-end with a diameter large' distance of abouta quarter 'of' 'enoughfof the.

suine inA e it t tightly in the main reservoi'rgtube;` A small portionof the lower part'of this'is vflattened or filed oi to makeA vroom forthe upper endof the pen, as seen'at ,or near 'u in' Fig. .5... -The restof the external part o f the feeding-tube lyi'ng under-the pen 1s alsoflattened, as seen inthe tube bin Fig. 5. The feeding-tube forabout-three-quarters of an`inch from its. lower endis/niade smaller thanthe bore of the4 main reservoirftube, so that when the feedingtube isinserted in the main reservoir-tube' for about half of .an inch there is,formed an under recess, as seen atr t' in'Fig.15, which answers inpart-for a receptacle for the ink, wh'ich-.zl'efiows'when thef point ofthe pen 'is turned 4upward, thus pre-. venting? the'soiling of ,thefingers with ink.

'lhe pen m\1st'be.iitte d tightlyjinto its socket, whichsocket is a.parta-ofA v the under-reess, the sides of 'theupper'part' of itimpingng upon-the inside of' the'loweren'd of the main reservoir-tube.The penmust lset closely tothe lowerl end' of the, Medine-tube at, theori age of 'the in k.

Tice, where the ink issues'to feed it." 'The point of the pen shouldextend'down over .and beyond the feeding-tube a quart-er oflan inch',more or less, accordingr asthe 'pen is sti or flexible, or so, that thepen shall be readily supplied with ink, and so that the end 'of thefeeding-tube shall not touch the paper i writing. I l l InFg. 13 thespring is represented by'c, and isf inifixed in thefeeding-tube b in`the same .'manner as represented in Figs. 7 and 5 and before described.The spring is similar tof that represented in Fig. 5, but is placedabove the p en instead olnnder it, and is 'modified somewhat at thelower ends, A

slnall portiouof the spring` extends' through vaffanni'l'orlice in thefeeding-tube b, 131i f1.8

pei-pendiculaiflytf'osr nearly so,.to the ack part of th'c pen, asseenator near Z,- Fig. 13, l

being madcof a somewhat conical form, so-

that it may close up the orilice'in the feed- .ingftube, or nearly closeit, when the pen is not n'use. The pen when inv use strikes against theconical point-of the spring, t-hus vkeeping it in motion and aidingtheHow- '.lhe oricevof the feeding tube is m'ade smaller whenthe pen isplaced under4 the 4feeding-tube than when it is placed over it, as isseen by comparing Fig.

13 andFigs. 7 and 5 with reference to th'e.

orifice. y i

To charge the fountai'ntube,th`e piston-rod is first-pushed in, (and in'doing-this it must betaken by the thumb and foreiinge'r just above thescrew-cap.) IThe'pen is then'immersed in ink tothe'depth ofhalt an nchor more, or so thatthe orifice of the feeding-- tube vshall be belowthe. surface 'of 'the ink.

The 'pistonrod is' Uien-quickly drawn ontw ward till the concally-shapedpart of it fsl closely or ink and ai'r tight in its conicalseat. in thescrew-cap.' The pen is then thoroughly vwipedfso that the nkm'ay no`tdrop upon the'paper, and is ready for use, as it is represented by Fig.15. l A cap for the purpo e of keeping the ink from drying up, aswel asfor protecting the pen when not vin use; is placed :or drawn over thep'en. It should always hej-,put 'on 'when one stops writing. .Thiscap,'as'seen in Fig.,

1, islmade' tot' closely to t e lowerend of .the main. vreserroir-tube',canning-'home 'to a shoulder or small elevation.

The material I use in-constructi'ng the tubes, screws, cap, and springof .my improved fountain-pen is Goodyears patented hard rubber.

'.I h'ave as yet'seen nothing preferable to it.4

I claim is my invention orimprovementand desire to 'obtain LettersPatent therefor .1'. The elastic spring-infixediuthe feeding tube,vwhether the said springbe placed under or. above the pen, it being soplaced that it is made to ylbrate by the actionof the pen inwriting,substantially the sanie as described y in theforegoiugspecification and the accompanying drawings.,4

" Af2; The under-recess formed by inserting the feeding-tube in thelcwcr' end of the ma'n reservoir-tube, the said u Y er recess actingas areceptacle of the' ink, whichfreows when the point'l of the pen isturned npwrd, 'suhstantially the saine as `described in 'the foreongspecification" and the accompanying rawings.

3. The combmation of, the concaaparhof lthe pstonrod with a. conicalseat. for the salme iu the screw-cap, so that when the piston-rod

